Here Be Dragons
by Sethoz
Summary: Five years ago the League disbanded, torn apart by a death. Now, they must be regroup to save the world from the threat of Dragons... Secrets will be brought to the surface as they face what may be the hardest task - trusting once again. WIP
1. Conspiracy Theories

**Disclaimer: **Happy Birthday LXG! Yes, the League is one year old today and the Fandom is still going strong. As always, I don't own the League, Sawyer, Skinner, the idea of dragons, though the actual dragons and the OC characters are mine. There will be Tom torment in this story – I know, a real shocker. There will, however, also be Skinner torment and to a lesser degree, everyone else will suffer in other ways. _::Evil Smile::_ And now, the responses from the trailers;

**Clez:-** _::Winces and blinks a few times::_ Yes, please stop shouting now... Glad you loved the trailer, there should be lots of Dragon's in this, so you'll all right. It's July 11th... _::sniffle::_ But no you, due to your stupid computer! Come back soooooooooooon!

**Queerquail:- **Well, you need wait no longer! And yes, hopefully everyone will enjoy the dragons...

**freedomfighter82:- Trailer: **Whoop right back at you for reviewing! I know, Boromir! is cool! [Even though I'm more of a Faramir fan.] I picked Sean Bean because he has such a wonderful voice. _::Laughs::_ That is a brilliant line! I've heard it somewhere too... maybe from 'Bored of the Rings'? I'm not sure but it is very familiar... **Teaser: **Yes, it is today! And here it is!

**TARilus:- **I've never seen 'Reign of Fire'. It is on my to-watch list, but as yet, haven't found the time. And of course you will find out why the League disbanded and yes, Skinner was telling the truth.

**Lady Norbert:- **_::Blushes::_ Oh, you really are too kind.

**The Lady Thief:- **Glad you liked it, hopefully the story will live up to its potential! :)

**Raven Silvers:- **Yeah, yeah. I said sorry! And 'sides, it is to celebrate LXG's birthday. Yep, Skinner rides dragons!

**Angel-flame:- **As far as I am aware, this is a new idea. Don't know where it came from... I think too much and when I think too much, I plan ways for the League to suffer.

**Funyun:- **No, I've never read that book before, I'll have to when I can. Okay, there will be a little bit of Skinner crisping. Sawyer also gets flamed, so I'll let you know when that's going to happen. I don't really like fire myself and I know **Clez** doesn't, but as you'll see later, the fire is needed.

And now, just the prologue...

_:::_

Prologue Conspiracy Theories.

**There is a saying:-**

**Draco Dormiens Numquam Titillandus**

**(Never tickle a sleeping dragon)**

There were conspiracy theories of course.

There always was, when someone famous died suddenly, in mysterious circumstances. The situation around this participially death gave rise to the wildest ideas and beliefs and was a god send to people who didn't believe in the government. After the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen had become famous, the newspapers full of their daring deeds, another story followed on after it. One of the League's celebrated members was dead. And it was all slightly suspicious.

Some people claimed he had been murdered by a trusted friend, possibly even a member of the League itself. The government ordered the hit, they would say darkly, nodding their heads sagely. The government was worried about the League being under control of this man and so had engineered the death to take place during a mission, so that everyone would think he had died doing his duty. They always referred to the government as one body, a collective group of people, instead of any one person. It was much more simple that way, it meant that nobody had to worry about naming names or get into trouble for spreading lies against any one certain person. This didn't stop the government try and stamp out the theories, running round and denying everything left, right and center. The problem was, every time one theory was firmly destroyed, another two would spring up in its place.

If the government had nothing to do with his death, why were they so desperate to try and get people to stop talking about it? That was one on the main topics of discussion and only served to make more people believe in the theories, no matter how wild they became.

No-one had seen the body. That was another reason to not believe the official story. After his death, the League had rushed to bury him before anyone had a chance to even take in the sudden news. One day they found out about his death and the next day – before they had even begun to morn or understand – one of the League had given a statement telling the world that there team mate had been buried. Plus, one, the invisible thief had not attended the burial. He wasn't seen for weeks after the... 'incident'. Blame was mostly pointed in his direction. There were some people who didn't even believe he was dead. As time went on, people began to claim that they had seen him alive, all over the world. One woman even claimed to have spoken to him.

Her story was that she had seen him walking along a road, his gun over his shoulder. She had called out to him and he had stopped, turning to face her, a surprised look on his face. Then he had smiled and the woman had blushed.

"You shouldn't be out here alone." He had said, and he had sounded so worried about her, as if he was scared that something bad might happen. The woman had simply nodded a few times, her mouth opening and closing before she took a step closer to him. She blinked and then the man was gone.

The governments of the world wanted to brush the death under the carpet. The public had reacted furiously to that plan, new conspiracy theories springing up over night. It was as if they didn't want the public to look to closely and deeply into his death.

Five years had passed, and while now, there was no large interest in his death, the people close to him were still refused any privy or allowed to move on. If any member of the disbanded League of Extraordinary Gentlemen were spotted, the same question would always be asked, no matter what the occasion or how long ago it happened; 'Is he really dead?'.

Dr. Jekyll suffered the most. While the others had been able to mostly vanish, Dr. Jekyll had remained in London and partly in the public eye as he worked on his experiments. Even though he was asked again and again, the single sentence answer was always the same, always spoken in a dull neutral tone to mask the pain he really felt as he told them.

"Special Agent Sawyer is dead."

_:::_

On the other side of the world, in America, in the sleepy town of St. Petersburg there was a simple grave in a tiny churchyard. The grave was similar to the others around it, the grass neatly cut, the gravestone – in the shape of a cross – well tended to. This grave however held the body of an remarkable young man. The text on the cross was the only hint that this grave was special. It said;

**Thomas Sawyer**

That was it. There was no birth or death dates. No hint of Vampires, invisible men or plots to take over the world, just a single, simple name, that seemed to speak more of a personal grief, than anything bigger. It seemed as far removed from mystery and traitors as you could get. It was only when you started to think about the name, that you would begin to understand. You would understand why it was missing a date as you remembered. In the center of the town a bronze plaque was attached to a wall. This small piece of metal was boldly inscribed with the following text;

**Sacred to the memories of Special Agent Huckleberry Finn and Special Agent Thomas Sawyer.**

**Brave men who gave their lives not only for America...**

**But also for the world.**

**Huckleberry Finn**

**[1876 – 1899]**

"**I move forward without fear."**

**Also to...**

**Thomas Sawyer**

**[1874 – 1899]**

"**May you find your peace in death."**

Many came to visit first this plaque and then the grave. The grave of Huckleberry Finn was close by, but it was not visited by mourners who had never even met him like Tom's grave. People from all the over the world came to pay there respects to the fallen League member. The date was missing because it wasn't needed or wanted. In decades to come, the people would be able to look at the plaque to find the dates. Just like his mentor; Allan Quartermain, the public mourned the loss of one of the great souls of the world – this loss so much more painful by the fact that Thomas Sawyer was still so young and should have had so much more in front of him, even after all the wonderful things he had done for the world as a whole. His cross always had at least two bunches of flowers under it, even now, five years after his death.

He had become something of a celebrity within the League while he was alive. Of course there was people who disapproved of him, tutting and shaking there heads at the brash American. Even so his good looks and natural charm had proved a hit with the younger generation, while his acts of bravery and almost idiotic heroics earned him the respect of the older generation who would chuckle slightly as they read his latest exploits in the paper. To these men, the young Tom Sawyer remained themselves of what they were like at that age.

Strange to think that a young man from the south of America could have bewitched the public of the world so easily.

_**To Be Continued...**_

Um... please don't kill me.

Leave a review, let me know what you think of it! And remember, this is only the prologue, lots of time for things to happen.

Sethoz


	2. Back Where They Fell

**Disclaimer: **I have no excuse for taking so long to up-date this, I am deeply, deeply shamed. And sorry. There was a scene in this part that just did not want to be written, which I'm sure you will all be able to guess why when you read it. Plus I was ill, yet again... This chapter comes with a **warning. **There is an unpleasant death in this part, with fire and well... I'll leave that to your imagination. Just so you all know, the first PoV is the death, so if anyone really doesn't want to read a scene like that... then just miss it out. The story might not make much sense if you do that though... anyway, here are the shout outs;

**ElvenBookwyrm:- **We shall see... _::Tries to look mysterious. Fails.::_

**angel-flame:- **A dream? Well... sorry... it's not, but as for fixing it, you'll have to read and see.

**freedomfighter82:-** _::Looks seriously scared:: _Yes... eeep... umm... please don't kill me, because... even though Tom's dead, you still see him? And put that very sharp... pointy... axe down...

**Funky In Fishnet:- **Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed that prologue, hope this chapter lives up to your expectations.

**Queerquail:- **Well, at least you won't kill me. I wish I could say the same for other people... Stay dead? Well, if I told you, that would spoil the suspense, now wouldn't it ;)

**readheaded tom lover:- **I killed him because I had to kill him otherwise the plot wouldn't work. Plus what would my life be like without people threatening to kill me? ... besides peaceful and safe.

**Stargazer:- **Very slight glimpse of dragons in this part, but you'll have to wait a little longer to see them in all their glory.

**Marcus Lazarus:- **Yep, Sawyer's dead, I killed him good. As you will soon see. Hopefully this chapter will go some way to explain who and how, though for the 'why', you'll just have to wait. And he will indeed be popping up, though not in the way most people think I believe...

**Crystal Nox:- **Killing a League member is easy. Surviving people trying to kill you is the real challenge. Everyone loves dragons. Dragons are cool.

**Kingleby:- **I'm very sorry, but he is. Dead. Very dead. Thanks for the compliment.

**GothicAngel5:- **Well, Skinner was blamed because he wasn't seen in public for a while after Tom's death, the reason for which will be reveled in a later chapter. The plot sounds familiar? Really?

**Raven Silvers:- **_::Hides and whimpers::_ Please don't do that! I'll be good! Look, new chapter...

**Lady Lilrin:- **I never said he was coming back. I said they find out a secret. :) Ohhh, Trip plushie!! You're right, he is hot.

**DeathKall:- **Thanks, I'm glad you liked it.

**Rai:- **Ummm... no, he died before. Read the prologue again :D

**Clez:- **_You_ loved it even though Tom was dead??

**Jo:-** Eeep! _::Ducks baseball bat:: _Moving was the emotion I was going for.

And now...

**Here Be Dragons**

_Chapter 1:- Back Where They Fell_

The heat was intense, fire springing up all around around them. Skinner looked over at Tom Sawyer who was scanning the area, hunting for an escape route that hadn't been blocked off by fire. There was the sound of footsteps on the other side of the flames and both men tensed, Tom gripped his empty Colt pistols, spinning them so he could use them as clubs. The sound stopped suddenly and there was silence except for the greedily crackling of the fire as it burnt away at everything it touched. Tom and Skinner exchanged looks, confused.

Suddenly, there was a roar and something gold smashed through the flames. Skinner only caught a glimpse of fire, teeth and large leathery wings before there was a shout and he felt something knock into him, pushing him again. There was a creaking sound as part of the roof lost it's support to the fire. Then, Skinner's world went dark.

He groaned, as slowly the world swam back into focus. Everything hurt, though amazingly he seemed to be unharmed in any major way. He pushed himself up from the ground, looking around with a bemused expression on his face. The thing that had attacked them... had that... had he seen... a dragon?

"Tom?" Skinner called out, seeing that the fire had mostly died down. He couldn't see his friend anywhere... then he looked down. And swore. Crouching down, he reached out to touch Tom... or what remained of him. He was terribly burnt and as the fire was dying down, Skinner guessed Tom had been caught in the flames of the Dragon.

"S-sskinner... don't..." Tom rasped, his voice shaking, even as his body fought desperately to survive. Tears welled up in his eyes, toppling over his eyelids and running down his face, the salty water stinging at his burnt flesh. He would have winced, if only he had the energy to do so.

"Tom, I'm going to go and get help." Skinner said

"No.. not a-alone... please.. don't wanna g-go..." He panted out, a fearful look in his eyes. Skinner glanced around the remains of the room, listening hard in case the gold... _dragon_ was coming back, before looking back down at Tom. He tried to smile, to fight back the tears that that were threatening to fall. Tried not to let Tom see how scared he was, how worried he was. Because the wounds... Skinner's drew in a hissing breath as he looked over Tom's body again, taking mental notes of every burn, every torn part of flesh. The burns were almost black in color, curling up at the edges, to show red, raw flesh under.

"You're not going anywhere Tom, do you hear me?" Skinner said, managing to keep his voice steady. He looked around again. _What the hell is taking them so long? _"The rest of the League will be here soon and Jekyll will have you fixed up in no time."

"I... it hurts..." Tom whimpered, oblivious to the words of comfort Skinner was trying to give him. His eyes found Skinner's and some inner light seemed to extinguish. "S-sorry..." Skinner shook his head in disbelief, his mouth falling open.

"No... no..." Skinner muttered. Tom smiled very faintly, the edges of his lips just turning upwards. He let out a finale, long breath, all his life fleeing with the sound as he head lolled to one side, the once bright eyes now already cloudy in death. Skinner stared down at his friends body in shock, still muttering 'no' under his breath.

He wished he could say that death had restored a kind of dignity to Thomas Sawyer. That among the burnt items and the ruined building there was something gentle about the way he lay, quietly as if in sleep, lulled that way by angels. Truthfully though, there was just something indescribably sad and almost pathetic about the bundle of hair and burnt skin that lay on the ground in such a haphazard manner.

Already Skinner was distancing himself from the body. Because that wasn't Tom Sawyer lying at his feet, not anymore. That was just an empty shell, a broken container with the precious contents forever split and lost. He staggered to his feet and moved away, heading in the direction that the League were sure to come from. He wasn't even 100 yards away from the fire ravaged building when there was a tremendous crashing sound behind him, of wood and stone splintering and shattering. Skinner spun on his heel, his face partly visible through smears of greasepaint that had not come off. He had lost his hat somewhere in the building, along with his jacket, meaning the only other part of him that was visible was part of his hand, where Tom had bled on him. He took a step back towards the building -

- and almost fell off his bed, his breathing loud and rapid. He looked around the room, in a vain attempt to calm his breathing. Skinner clutched at his chest, even though there was no way to see for sure. He shook slightly, reaching out for the bottle of whiskey that remained forever by his bed.

Why had he suddenly remembered that?

---

"Mina... Mina..." The voice entered into Mina's thoughts, dragging her away from her blissful darkness. She blinked once, twice and then suddenly, she was standing by water, the sea breeze bowing gently on her face as she stared out away from the land, the sand resting under foot.

"Interesting choice." The voice said, a male voice with an American accent, a hint of the man's southern upbringing slipping into the two words. Mina turned her head to the right. A couple of meters away, sitting on a large gray boulder, his own head turned to face hers with Agent Tom Sawyer. He was dressed in the same clothes as he had been wearing the day he died; the white shirt, black trousers with his hostlers hanging down as always. The long black duster swirled around him, resting by his ankles where the pair of feet were encased by boots. In his hands he held his treasured Winchester rifle. The soulful soft green eyes were sparkling softly as he looked at her, a genuine smile on his lips. The blond hair hung around his head as always, yet it seemed to be hanging differently now, a small change not even measurable.

"Mina, I don't have much time." Tom said urgently, slipping down from the large rock and crossing the sand between them. "It's dangerous enough me even being here."

"You died." Mina said flatly, staring at her friend. Tom actually looked embarrassed by this fact and he froze in mid stride.

"Well..." His face screwed up into a grimace, a smile tugging at one side of his face. "Yes, I suppose I did, didn't I."

"So this is all just a dream." Mina carried on in her dreamy tone, as if she hadn't heard Tom's answer.

"Vampire's don't dream Mina." Tom replied, a faint frown growing on his forehead, plucking at his skin. Mina raised and eyebrow, a sneer on her face before turning away from him and walking in the opposite direction. Tom groaned and ran after her, darting in front of her path, his hands spread out in a surrender gesture.

"Okay, okay." He said quickly, gazing into her face. "You're right, this is a dream. However, it most certainly is not **just **a dream. Think of it as a warning, a message from mystic powers." He pleaded. Mina stared back at him coolly, searching his face for lies or deceit. She found none.

"Very well... I am listening." She answered. Tom's boyish face lit up in relief.

"Oh good!" He told her, before the light faded away. He suddenly looked a lot older and tired.

"It's back Mina. The thing that killed me five years ago. I thought it was dead, everyone thought it was dead but somehow it survived. Not only that, but this time it has friends and a human with it. The gold dragon is back." Tom said, his shoulders slumped.

"Dragon's do not exist Agent Sawyer." Mina snapped. "You – or rather the real you, not a dream you – was killed by fire yes, but not dragon fire."

"Dragons don't exist?" Tom asked in amusement. "Oh yes, they don't exist in the same way Vampire's don't exist?"

"The only person to witness your death was Skinner and he does not not remember what happened." Mina replied, ignoring Tom's answer. The American looked uncomfortable.

"Actually... he does now." Tom muttered. He rushed on, noticing the icy look he was being given. "Well, I tried to warn him first but instead all I managed to do was unlock that memory. Go and find him, ask him. If he does remember, he'll tell you about the dragons."

"So what do you want me to do?"

"Reform the League." Tom told her. He pointed behind the female vampire, towards the rock where she had first spotted him. "You have to stop her." Mina looked over her shoulder. There standing on the boulder, as if frozen in time and space was a young woman, who didn't look much older than Tom himself.

Her hair was short and black, reaching her ears but not much further. The skin was pale on her face, the pale brown eyes almost yellow as they stared out towards the sea. The young woman's clothes fit her slender frame perfectly, the outfit completely black aside from a bracelet on her wrist made of simple gold, absent of any gem stones or engraving. She had a black tunic on, the neck line square, the arms flaring out at the wrist and the only way Mina could even see the gold bracelet was because the girl had her arms thrown upwards, as if she was calling or signaling something. A black skirt and black lace up boots completed her outfit as as stood there before fading away on the breeze. Mina turned back to Tom, who had the look of a man running out of time of his face.

"How can we stop something that may or may not be real." Mina said, still doubting if this was really some kind of prophecy style dream. She had had such dreams before, but never like this, never talking to someone dead and never for this long. Usually they lasted just a few seconds time wise and she would wake to find a minute at most has passed since she had fallen asleep.

"When you reform the League, you must find out everything you can about the 'Dragon encircling the World'. It's your only chance to stop this." Tom said. He reached out a hand and gently touched Mina's face, a tear dropping from his eyes.

"God, I've missed you... I've missed you all. Now go, wake up and kick some dragon butt." he said, pulling his hand back and placing it in his pocket. He bowed to her in farewell and turned to leave. Mina watched him walk away, unable to move.

"Tom... you're dead. How can I believe any of this?" She asked. Tom stopped, his head bowed slightly, though he didn't turn back to face her.

"Death is rarely the end. You of all people should know that Mina."

---

There was no noticeable abrupt ending of the dream. There no real ending either. One moment Mina was dreaming, her eyes lightly closed and the next she was wide awake, her eyes open, though her body was still in a relaxed position. She rose from her bed gracefully, slipping out from under the bed covers and gliding over to the window to stare down at the quiet village of Whitby. The dream's warning still echoed in her mind and a slight frown marred her delicate features.

What was she going to do?

_**To Be Continued...**_

Hope everyone enjoyed that and once again, I'm very sorry about the Tom death thing. Really, I am. But it is necessary to the plot.

- _Sethoz_


	3. To the Slaughter

**Disclaimer: **Here we go, the next part of **Here be Dragons**, I'm glad everyone is enjoying it so far! There will be no updates from any of my stories for the next few weeks as I am going on holiday in two hours. Thank you for all the reviews, here are the shout outs;

**Marcus Lazarus:- **Well, as you shall see in later chapters, they think the fire was deliberate yes, but that is was just someone putting fire to it. As to the Dragons, well you will have to just wait and see. Hyde may be able to stop some dragons, as there will be different types in this story.

**Clez:- **Guess what, Skinner's losing himself in booze. Come on, it wouldn't be a story by me if it was all plain sailing ;)

**The Lady Thief:-** Ah, but this is not the Skinner we know from the movie. This is a Skinner five years afterwards, in a pit of unhappiness. Thanks for the compliments!

**Lady Lilrin:- **It was a rather nasty way to go, wasn't it. Ohh, Trip cut-out! You're too kind.

**Sawyer Fan:- **Maybe he is and maybe he isn't. _::Looks mysterious:: _Even though he was killed, there will be a lot of him in the story, through flashbacks, dreams etc. And as for that scene you remember... that was a flashback ;)

**queerquail:- **Well, let's put the dead Tom question this way. The League think he's dead. He was buried. People however, say they have seen him alive.

**Artemis Gray:- **_::Blushes::_ Thanks! Well, Mina will certainly try to reform the League, but I doubt it will be that simple...

**Raven Silvers:- **_::Patpat:: _There, there... at least Skinner is alive eh? It's better than him being dead. And please don't set Mina on me! Please!

**Niani:- **He will make a decent appearance yes, and there will be Skinner angst and Skinner torture. As for Tom torture... flashbacks are so useful!

**Kingleby:- **Aww, don't cry!

**Funyun:- **Glad you like it.

And now...

**Here Be Dragons**

_Chapter 2:- To the Slaughter_

Mrs. Dickensian opened the door of her boarding house, stepping out into the neat little garden. She placed her hands on her hips, breathing in deeply, taking in the sea air. It was a habit of hers, to take in the air before staring the days chores. At 44 years of age, Mrs. Dickensian had seen it all and took no nonsense from any of her guests. If they didn't pay, they didn't stay, it was as simple as that. At the same time though, she was also a generous and kind hearted woman who would protect those she liked as though they were her own flesh and blood. And it had been nearly three years since her Billy...

Shaking her head, the woman moved down the garden path, towards the small herb garden. If she was going to cook lamb for her guests tonight, then she would need some fresh rosemary. People came to her boarding house because the price was decent and the food was good. There was an air of respectability about Mrs. Dickensian and she was the sort of women people could depend on.

_I have lived my life and what good has come of it?_ She allowed a hint of dismay to creep into her thoughts as she painfully bent down to pick some rosemary. She was old, her bones and grey hair told her that, even if her mind and heart said otherwise. Yet, Mrs. Dickensian had few regrets, she had lived longer than most people she knew, she had raised a family and now ran a business that could allow her to live. Yes, she had a good life. In all her life, only two clouds had over shadowed it.

There was the death of her Billy, her little boy, the youngest of her children to reach adulthood. Five had lived to grow up but Billy had always been her favourite, the one she spoilt. For him to have been taken away from her, in such a cruel manner, it was all most too much to bare. His death had caused quite a lot of talk among the village. The widowed Mrs. Dickensian had never quite recovered from the loss of her son and some of the more malicious gossipers claimed that it had addled her brain. She was sometimes seen talking to herself and taking long walks alone. If questioned on her actions though, she would brightly reply that she wasn't alone. People asked who her invisible friend was. At this the widow would become quiet and refuse to answer any more questions. So public opinion of her was that she was slightly batty but harmless.

Her joints cracked and ached in protest as she straightened back up, the desired rosemary in her hands. The women sighed as she stared out over her garden towards the sea. A shadow fell on the ground beside her and it took all of her self-control not to gasp, for she had not heard the person come up beside her.

"Good morning Mrs. Harker." Mrs. Dickensian said without turning her head. She knew only one person who could walk along the gravel path without making any noise, her longest lodger – the almost recluse Mrs. Harker. She knew the stories about the women, who didn't? In truth, such stories be they fact or fiction, mattered little to her. The women, vampire, whatever she was, had moved into Mrs. Dickensian's boarding house not long after the loss of her Billy and she had been a God send to the mourning mother. She had thrown herself into mothering Mina Harker, rather to the vampire's bemusement. After a while, the two had reached a compromise and Mina would let the other mother her, in return for the rest of her time spent in privacy.

"Good morning Mrs. Dickensian." Mina answered, her tone of voice always just the correct sound. Mrs. Dickensian looked over at her for the first time. She noticed the small valise resting on the ground and her face lit up.

"Oh, Mrs. Harker, have you finally seen sense? Are you going to fix it?" Mrs. Dickensian asked hopefully. Mina raised an eyebrow and nodded gracefully, allowing a hint of a smile to touch her lips.

"You are correct. I am returning to London today." She answered.

"Well, it's about time." Mrs. Dickensian said, the disapproval clear in her voice. "I don't know what you were thinking, letting yourself split up. Did you really think that's what the boy would have wanted?" She shook her head. "You may be older than me by many years Mrs. Harker, but bless me, when it comes to matters of the heart, if you're not as thick as any human!" She tutted and began to move back to the house, the rosemary still held in her hand. At the door she paused and looked over her shoulder.

"Don't you be giving up so easily this time, you hear me? And make sure you eat well, I don't want to find out you've been skimping on food. Oh, I don't know where you will be able to find some decent home cooked food in London. Take care of yourself, you hear me?" Her voice softened at the last seven words and she fixed Mina with the steady gaze that only a mother can give. For a second Mina found herself feeling like a child again. She nodded mutely and Mrs. Dickensian smiled, making a shooing monition with her hands. The women watched Mina pick up the valise and glide down the path, heading for the small train station. Wiping her eyes – surprised at the wetness she found there – Mrs. Dickensian turned and headed inside, knowing she was going to miss her tenant. She made her way into the small sitting room at the back of the house. The fire had been lit to help warm the room up and she sighed with contentment as she sat down in her seat. The cooking of the lamb could wait a few minutes as she relaxed, Mrs. Dickensian reasoned.

"You'll be alright now my lad..." she muttered to herself as she felt sleep taking hold. "Mrs. Harker will sort things out, you'll see." She yawned and her eyes fluttered closed as she drifted off into a light sleep.

---

Skinner was not in a good mood. The light drizzle, which seemed to be a constant fixture to London, along with the fog, was doing nothing to lift his spirits. He pulled the brim of his hat further over his painted face, trying to keep it dry. Part of Skinner didn't even know why he bothered to keep up the appearance of being visible – it wasn't as if anyone bothered about what he looked like, not any more.

After the League has gone their separate ways – Mina to roam England, searching for some kind of peace; Dr. Jekyll throwing himself into his research; Captain Nemo returning to India and Tom in a hole in the ground – Skinner had returned to his less law abiding ways. He didn't see much point of leading a respectable life, not when no one cared and no one could see him anyway.

For the past five or so years, Skinner had lived an alcohol induced haze, only returning to a sober state when his money ran dry and he was forced to do a job. His skill was in high demand and so only the very big pay off's attracted him now, when he knew his share would fund a few weeks of his habit.

He had been reasonably happy as well – well as happy as a man with no life, no future and no friends could get. Mostly he would spend his nights going from pub to pub, trying to pick a fight, get drunk, anything to dull the pain or even kill it completely.

_It had been bad enough when all I knew was Tom had died and I was there, but now... to remember it all... oh God, that death... _His thoughts were more coherent than normal, as the dream had shaken him sober, even after a few whiskey's to try and clam his racing heart. Skinner had never remembered what had happened that day, it had all been blurred because of a head injury. He wasn't sure what had awoken his memory but he had an uncomfortable feeling that his life was about to change.

"Oh no." He vowed, lifted a gloved hand to the rain and clouds. "Not again, do you hear me? I'm not going through all that again, so you can just forget any plans you have for me. I'm not interested in this destiny stuff so put that out of your mind right now!" He ranted, shaking his fist at the sky. As if to mock him, the heavens opened, causing the rain to suddenly fall heavily, just as he looked upwards. The large raindrops mixed with the greasepaint, causing the thief's very face to simply melt away. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and lowed his gaze, heading towards a pub, intent on drinking until he passed out.

From the shadows of the building opposite a figure watched, before turning away and vanishing down an alleyway.

---

Now that Mina had time to simply sit and think, she began to question her choice. What if her dream had simply been that – a dream? She could be simply raking up old hurts and opening wounds that were best left alone. Was she ready to face Henry Jekyll and the rest again? Because she knew she would have to face Jekyll first, as he was the only one whose whereabouts she knew for sure. From him, she hoped to learn something about the recent activities of Mr. Skinner. If not, she would have to hunt through London, inch by inch. If there was any chance of avenging Agent's Sawyer's death, then she would take it.

The memory of that last mission still weighed heavily on her mind. Only it wasn't really a mission, not really. It was a trap, from the very start. And the League had fallen for it, hook, line and stinker. She closed her eyes and allowed the flashes of memory to surface. She could remember as clear as day, the look on Mr. Holmes face as he told them. Just a small matter he had assured them, that of a man who seemed to be getting ideas above his station. While the world was not in great peril, there was a very good possibility, that, left unchecked, this man could very put it in such a position.

Like lambs to the slaughter... they had gone and latter Tom and Skinner had gone to investigate an abandoned building that the man had once used. The rest of the League had gone to talk to some people who claimed to know the man. By the time they realised they had been set up – they were too late. They found Tom dead and Skinner unconscious near by.

A day later the man they were investigated was found dead, believed to have taken his own life. And foolishly, stricken with grief, the League had left it that. What if they had been wrong? What if the man's death had been murder, what if Tom had been murdered? It was all to much for her to think about now and she lowered her gaze to the slim book of poetry she had brought along for the journey.

She didn't notice the tiny blue creature that flashed by her window for a second. She didn't see it return to the very edge of her window frame, it's tiny liquid gold eyes watching her before narrowing into tiny slits. The blue creature spread it's wings and shot upwards, vanishing into the smoke above the train – not that anyone saw.

---

First mate Patel frowned as he stared down at the piece of paper, delivered to him from a man in the English army base. A telegram to the Captain... but how did they know where to send it? Out of everywhere in India, how did this person know to send it to that army base? He folded the telegram over and placed it in his pocket. His captain was not aboard at the moment, but he knew Captain Nemo would want this as soon as possible.

MRS WILHELMINA HARKER IN GREAT DANGER STOP CAPTAIN NEMO IS REQUESTED TO RETURN TO LONDON TO SAVE THE WORLD STOP IF HE DOES NOT TERRIBLE EVENTS WILL TAKE PLACE STOP THERE IS LITTLE TIME STOP A FRIEND STOP

_**To Be Continued...**_

Thank you for your reviews, you are all wonderful, especially for not killing me. Please leave a review and let me know what you thought of this part.

_- Sethoz_


	4. Ghostly Day

**Disclaimer: **Well here I am, back at last with a new chapter to 'Here be Dragons'. I'm very happy to hear how everyone is enjoying it so far and for those who were wondering but didn't say, you will see more dragons soon. Don't own everything, as you've probably guessed by now. Here are the shout outs;

**Angharad:- **Yes, guilt is something Skinner is feeling when ever he thinks of Tom, hence drinking. As for the mothering landlady... well, I don't want to spoil the plot, but yes, she still has a part to play and we will see her again. As for Allan, no he's not coming back, you'll see why later.

**Clez:- **I'll take that to mean you like it so far ;)

**funyun:- **Ah, you have to wait for the chapter when we see the main dragon to find out what they have to do with the plot.

**Scifi Kane:- **Flying monkeys? I **_love_** flying monkeys! probably defeats the purpose of your threat heh? Glad you enjoy it so far.

**Rini Skinner-Jekyll:-** As you command :D

**Sawyer Fan:- **Sorry, that is classified under "writer's secret intention", but you will find out some time, I promise. And you keep believing Tom's alive if you want. _::Huge smile::_

**Niani:- **I have plenty of Skinner torture lined up, but it's still a few chapters away, but it will be worth the wait, I promise.

**Funky In Fishnet:- **ah, glad to see you've noticed the build up. Let's hope the the first actual clash lives up to the build up.

**Raven Silvers:- **Skinner fangirls? After everything I did to Tom, you threaten me with Skinner fangirls... okay, that's still pretty scary. Here is your update.

**The Lady Thief:- **Well, Mina's coming to snap him out of it... let's just hope she doesn't snap him.

**Marcus Lazarus:- **Why thank you Marcus. About the trap.. well, you'll have to wait and see, but that certain plot point gets – mostly – cleared up in a few chapters time. But it's not who you suggested. You have good reason to worry about Jekyll and the killing Tom, yes I did have a very good reason. I had a few in fact.

**Queerquail:- **Thank you.

**Lady Lilrin:-** That little dragon is going to be lots of trouble, believe you me :D Ohh, you get kinder and kinder in your gifts!

And now, with out any further ado I give you...

**Here Be Dragons**

_Chapter 3:- Ghostly Day_

Nemo slipped into the room, nodding respectively at the man who stood guard outside the doors that led to the inner chamber. The man stared impassibly back at Nemo.

"You have not been here for a while." He said calmly. "The Lady said you would visit this night. She is expecting you." He took a step to the right, opening the door for Nemo to step threw. The Captain walked through, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword as always.

The inner room was much as he remembered, from all those years ago. Smoke from incense and candles filled the room with a wide mix of scents. Drapes obscured Nemo's view further and his hand tightened on the hilt. A low laugh came from the back of the room.

"Well really, you don't need that... 'Nemo' isn't it now? It is quite sad that you learned to fear and mistrust everything." The female voice seemed amused and Nemo moved through the room, to where an old woman sat, her skin wrinkled through age. She gestured for him to move forward and sit.

"It is good to see you again." Nemo told her. She laughed, her teeth yellowed by smoking.

"You've not seen the need to visit me for years 'Nemo', why now?" She asked in a mocking tone. Nemo forced his hand away from the sword and stared proudly back at her.

"You know everything that happens Yogini, in this world and the next. You know why I am here." Nemo answered. Yogini laughed.

"You did not ask for my advice when you cursed the English or when you joined that League. Yet, now, you come to me..." She regarded him for a long time. "Do you still hate the English?" She asked, her voice abrupt. Nemo considered her question for a while, knowing that his answer was the most important part of this conversation so far.

"I hate what the English stand for... there are some good English, I have met them." He said at last. Yogini pressed her hands together, looking out of the curtain covered window to where a pale moon shone.

"Then why are you still here? You have already decided to help her. Go, the telegram does not lie, they are in great danger." She said. Nemo blinked then nodded, standing up. He knew that he would get nothing more from the wise Indian. On that matter though, he was wrong. As he reached the door her voice called out, halting him.

"Dakkar! Your anger against the British will destroy any chance you have of saving more than you know. It sometimes takes the stronger man to forgive." She said, using a name Nemo had not heard in a long time. Yogini carried on.

"Anger destroys, it does not create. Now, go Nemo and don't you disappoint me."

---

Night had fully fallen by the time the train pulled up in London. It had been delayed some hours when a cow had wandered onto the line, before becoming scared by the sound of the nearing engine and freezing. No amount of encouragement from the farmer could get the cow to move from the tracks. Pulling it had not worked either, as the cow had dug it's hooves into the soil between the wood, mooing loudly in protest.

It was not the only thing to protest. Angry passenger's has climbed down from their compartments and demanded to know why there was a hold up. Some of the richer passengers had suggested killing the animal and having it's body dragged off but the farmer had protested, even when they offered to buy him a new cow. The augments raged on, and through it all the cow continued to stand there, bending it's head every now and then to pull up some of the sweet grass it had found by the side of the tracks. Contented, it chewed, having no desire to move for several more hours.

Mina silently slipped from her compartment, moving along the length of the train to where the cow stood. From the shadow cast from the engine she watched it for a few moments, letting the red bleed into her eyes. The cow's head jerked up from where it had been grazing, wide, brown eyes staring at Mina. It knew a predator when it saw it, even the most domesticated and mindless animal still retained the ability to sense a predator. Mina smiled coldly at the cow, her fangs extending.

"Mooo!" The cow made an extremely loud and terrified noise as it bolted away from Mina and the track. Satisfied, Mina willed the Vampire traits away from her face and she slunk back to her compartment, closing the train door gently behind her.

But that had been in the afternoon and now it was night. She swept out of the train station, her small valise held in her gloved hand. It was time to pay a visit to Dr. Jekyll... but maybe she should wait till the morning, after all, he was not likely to be working during the night... was he?

---

Skinner stumbled out of the third bar in a row, muttering angry curses about bartenders. By now he should have been so drunk he wouldn't have cared about being thrown out. For some reason though, tonight he couldn't seem to get drunk enough to forget everything about his life. Skinner longed for the blissful darkness that only the numbing effect of alcohol could bring.

"And it's starting to rain **_again_**!?" He wailed, looking up at the sky, where large raindrops were starting to fall. Skinner looked down just in time to see a shoulder connect with his own as he walked into someone walking the other direction.

"Sorry..." The person muttered, looking at Skinner for a second before walking on. Skinner barely registered either the apologise or the look, but something about the voice had stirred a memory deep inside Skinner. It nagged at him and he stopped suddenly, his mind working overdrive, the cobwebs blown away. That voice... male... with a slight American accent... he knew that voice... and the face... a flash of blond hair and green eyes...

"Sa-sawyer?" He stammered, spinning around to look for the figure. Turning the corner, the man was briefly illuminated by the moon. Skinner blinked in disbelief, he could have sworn...

"Hey! You, wait!" Skinner called out, running after the man. His legs ached in protest at this sudden excise but he ignored them, skidding around the corner in time to see the man speed up, almost running away. Skinner ran after him, cursing for the first time the amount of booze he had been drinking.

"Hey!" Skinner yelled again, as he slowly began to gain on the blond haired figure. The person didn't slow down or look behind him as he ran round another corner. Skinner was only a few steps behind him by now and he was confident he could catch whoever it was. He turned the corner, seeing the man now only a step or two in front of him. Skinner reached out, catching the man by the left shoulder.

"I'm talking to you!" He snapped, spinning the man around. A stranger stared back at him, green eyes narrowed in anger.

"What the hell do you want from he?" The man asked. Skinner let go of his shoulder, stumbling backwards in shock. He had been so sure... Skinner could have sworn... the man seemed to be getting a little uncomfortable under Skinner's stare and noticed the greasepaint for the first time.

"Look, I don't have any money..." He muttered, giving Skinner one last look before running. Skinner let him go, a stunned look remaining on his face. His hands reached for the bottle in his long coat without even thinking about it. With shaking limbs he pulled the bottle free and stared at it, as if it was some foreign object.

Snarling, he threw the bottle as hard as he could against a brick wall. If drinking would conjure up painful images like that, then maybe Skinner didn't want to drink any more... at least for the moment.

From the safety of the roof, the same blue dragon that had watched Mina on her journey now spied on Skinner, it's tiny jaws snapping together in disgust. It's Master and Mistress would not be pleased by this turn of events. A puff of smoke came from it's nostrils and it's liquid gold eyes watched every move Skinner made. No, this was not what they wanted... plans might have to brought forward due to this turn of events.

---

Mina stared pensively up at the lighted window. It seemed that Dr. Jekyll was working late after all. The large building loomed above her, with the set of rooms belonging to Jekyll being the only lit up. She continued to gaze up at the light, her eyes narrowed. Mina remained frozen in position, every fibre of her body tense as she stood... and waited.

The minutes ticked by but she didn't move, except for a fast blink every now and then. The moon floated out from behind a cloud, the silver rays making the surrounding area light up. The sudden brightness blinded her for a moment and she blinked, trying to adjust her eyes. At the same time a shadow fluttered across the middle lighted window. Mina's eyes adjusted to the new light just in time to catch a glimpse of the slim shadow.

_Well, **someone** is there at least..._ she lowered her gaze and quickly walked to the entrance of the brick building. Her heels sounded loud in the almost eerie silence as she climbed the few steps. There was no door bell that she could see and when she pushed on the door it refused to move. Mina knocked lightly and then waited.

At the furthest away lit room a shadow appeared and stared down at the female vampire. It watched her as she knocked again and chucked horsely.

"Well, well..." It muttered. From her position on the ground, Mina seemed to sense she was being watched and her head snapped up, staring at the empty lit window which a moment ago – unknown to her – had held a shadowy figure. Mina's icy blue eyes gazed at the window before lowering. A low breeze sprung up as she descended the steps, the cold wind tugging at her neat hair.

"If you are not going to open this door and come to me Dr. Jekyll then I will have no choice but to come up to you." Mina announced, her hands on her hips as she gazed up at Jekyll's rooms. She was positive that the shy doctor knew she was down here and while she could understand his reluctance to talk to her, she couldn't understand why he would ignore a guest, any guest. It was not something a gentleman would do and when she knew Jekyll he had always strived to be a gentleman.

Mina closed her eyes and her hair sprung loose, pulled this way and that by the wind. Her widower hat went flying, the black veil vanishing far into the cloudy sky. The female half vampire noticed none of this however as she called to her bats, feeling their leathery wings beat against her skin for the briefest of seconds – and then she was the bats. Mina screeched as they did, she felt the air as they did, she saw as they did. The swarm of bats centred on the middle window, slipping in through the slight gap caused by a slightly open window.

She reformed back into human shape just inside the window, her senses on high alert. The room itself was typical of a scientist and Mina took a small comfort in some of the things she could see, reassured by the familiar items. A small bunson burner stood in the middle of one of the table's, a glass bottle suspended above it, the blue flame warming it. Mina stepped towards the experiment, peering at the yellow liquid inside the bottle. An open journal lay by the experiment, the writing inside stopping mid-sentence. The fountain-pen was resting on the page, the lid missing. It was all very fresh, very recent.

There was a faint sound behind Mina, of a door opening. She spun, not sure what to expect, Dr. Jekyll, Hyde perhaps? Instead she was faced with a slim young women, her blond hair cascading down her back. There was determined look on her face as she stared at Mina, a rifle of some sort pointed squarely at Mina's chest.

_**To Be Continued...**_

Hope everyone liked that part, check back soon for the next part.

_- Sethoz_


	5. By the Light of the Night

**Disclaimer: **Well here we are, another part of Here be Dragons, not that much happens in this part, but this is where – to me anyway – the tension starts to happen. There are three... well, I suppose you could call them cultural references in this chapter, so if you recognize a name or an item or a saying, then it's my little homage to that thing. Heh, anyway, on with the shout outs;

**Naitriab:- **Tom's fate has already been decided in my head and I hope that whatever happens, you will still enjoy this story. Jekyll and a girl? Read on...

**I luv tom:- **I still can't believe Tom died and I wrote it!

**Funky In Fishnet:- **Maybe. That's all I'm going to say. Maybe.

**Marcus Lazarus:- **You'll be right, a rifle in the chest will do Mina no good at all. And this women is explained in this part, so you don't need to worry about that. Yogini is indeed a Seer and she has a small role still to play, but she's not a terribly important character. Someone just needed to kick start Nemo ;) Skinner was drunk and he thought he saw Tom, but if he did very much depends on if you think Tom's still alive. These are intelligent dragons. Stop making me spoil the plot, yes they can see Skinner, in the same way Hyde can.

**Clez:- **No, that's not a good place to have a gun barrel. Heh, I thought you would notice it on your own and you did!

**Niani:- **_::Laughs:: _Just hold on a little longer, you'll start to see Skinner angst in the next few chapters, I promise.

**Scifi Kane:- **You're right, that is scary. Keep the siblings away from me!! Here's the next part and you'll find out what I did to Jekyll... _::evil laugh::_

**Here Be Dragons**

_Chapter 4:- By the Light of the Night_

Mina stared down the barrow of the rifle, not moving. She was pretty sure she could dodge any bullet fired by it or at the very least, she could explode into her bats and fly away. She was even pretty sure she could hit the weapon out of the women's hand before she had time to fire.

"Who are you?" The woman asked, her voice holding a quiver of fear, though the rifle was being held steady. Mina carried on staring at the barrow of the rifle, a small part of her curious about the apparent modifications made on the weapon. It didn't look like a normal rifle, at least not one that would fire normal bullets... a nasty thought entered Mina's mind and she wondered if wooden bullets soaked with holy water rested within the weapon.

"My name is Mrs. Harker." Mina answered coldly, fighting to keep the change down until the last moment. It wouldn't do to give the women a fright and make her to fire in panic. The women's eyes widened and Mina tensed slightly, expecting the rifle to sound out, bullets shooting towards her.

"Oh, thank goodness for that." The women said, lowering the weapon. "I thought it was you from the description I have, but I wasn't sure..." She trailed off, tucking the rifle under her arm, brushing some of her blond hair away from her soft brown eyes. She held the rifle with confidence and for a moment Mina was reminded of another rifle user. The moment was shattered when the young women brought her hand to her mouth in shock.

"I nearly forgot!" She exclaimed. "My name is Janet Weiss. I'm Dr. Jekyll's secretary."

"And does a secretary find it necessary to carry a weapon late at night in her place of employment?" Mina asked, her eyes showing a flicker of doubt at Janet's words. Janet looked down at the rifle and sighed lightly, guilt showing in her eyes as she looked back up.

"When you work late on nights like this, then yes, you do." Janet answered quietly. Mina stared at her and then around the room, at a loss of what to say. A silence descended on the room as Mina wandered around it, lightly touching the odd piece of equipment. She wanted to ask where Dr. Jekyll was but at the same time she was conscious of the thought that Janet would have taken her to see Dr. Jekyll if she had been able.

The female vampire's attention was caught by the door that led to the furthest away room. She took a step towards it and then another, causing Janet's head to snap up, fear showing on her face.

"No, Mrs. Harker!" Janet yelled, moving swiftly after her. At the same time there was an almighty roar from the room and the closed door shook, rattling hard. The doorknob twisted and – finding it locked – another roar issued from the locked room. Janet brought the rifle up swiftly and pointed it at the door.

"Do not even think about it Mr. Hyde, you know full well I will use this if I have to." Janet called out and at that moment several things fell into place for Mina. Janet knew about Hyde and was clearly prepared to deal with him, hence the weapon and also why she was staying late tonight.

A horse laughter drifted towards the two and Janet carefully aimed the rifle at the door, her breathing shaky. Suddenly there was an extremely loud bang and the door flew off it's hinges. Janet screamed as Mr. Hyde bounded out of the room, with a manic laugh. She squeezed the trigger on her rifle, trying to shoot the monstrous brute who dodged it with ease, one of his club like arms flying out and hitting Janet in the side and causing her to fly across the room, where she crashed into the wall and fell to the ground.

"Well hello Mina." Hyde said, a smile on his face. He pulled the tranquillizer dart out of the wall next to him, examining it with interest. "Poor little Jekyll having to give her a tranquillizer weapon because he didn't trust himself." The beast like man laughed, the sharp noise sounding more like a bark than a laugh.

"Mr. Hyde." Mina answered frostily. "I see you have fallen back into odd habits."

"The worm gave up trying to control me, so he lets me out more often... of course it's always in these rooms, with his _faithful _secretarywaiting for me. I always enjoy a challenge." Hyde smirked. "I've not had any real fun for ages, but now... mmm, I hear there are some ladies down by the docks... I'm a bad bad man Mina." Hyde said, moving closer to the vampire, as if hoping to intimidate her. Mina raised an eyebrow at him, not impressed.

"Dr. Jekyll is a good man. And you yourself are capable of good acts." She answered. Hyde roared in anger, spittle flying out of his mouth.

"I am **not**! And that snivelling excuse for a man is not good. He's not strong enough to be good or evil" Hyde all but spat out the words, glaring hard at Mina. There was the sound of two darts behind fired and Hyde jerked in surprise as they lodged themselves in his back. He half turned to face Janet who was on her knees, the rifle held steady and pointing at Hyde.

"Dr. Jekyll **is** a good man." Janet said softly, determination in her voice. Hyde took half a step towards her and without hesitation she fired again, hitting him in his chest. The giant man sank to the ground and suddenly gave a coughing laugh.

"Pointless my dear... you see, I'm done." Hyde whispered as his head crashed to the ground. Janet dropped the rifle in shock as his words became clear to her. Hyde roared in his drugged state, his body twisting in pain as the transformation took place. The grotesque change seemed to take an age to Janet as she watched, until, at last, the sleeping form of Dr. Jekyll lay on the ground.

Janet looked down at the still form of Dr. Jekyll, a thin layer of tears glistening in her eyes. It was almost painfully obviously to Mina as she helped Janet move Jekyll to a bed that the secretary was in love with her employer. And it was just as clear from the way the girl acted that Dr. Jekyll had no idea of the fact.

---

"Would you like a drink? We have tea, coffee..." Janet asked, as the two moved into the outer room, where Janet worked. Mina glanced over her shoulder for a second before looking back at Janet.

"Thank you. Some tea, Earl Gray, nice and hot would be lovely." Mina said and Janet nodded, hurrying away to make the drinks. Mina sat down on one of the seats and glanced around the room, seeing clear evidence of Janet's presence. This was clearly her room. Her gaze fell on a tattered book lying on the wooden desk, a scrap of paper acting as bookmark. Without thinking Mina picked it up and thumbed through it. It seemed to be some romance novel, no doubt with some dashing hero rushing to save a damsel in distress. Mina didn't think much of it to be honest, though by the state of it, it was clear the book was a favourite of Janet's.

Janet herself chose that minute to return with two cups of tea, the steam rising up from the surface. She carefully placed the cups on her desk before sitting at her seat.

"I see you found my book." Janet said shyly, nodding at the tattered novel in Mina's hands. "It's a wonderful story, so romantic and so sad."

"... a love that will live forever..." Mina read, having opened the book at the last page. Janet nodded and smiled to herself.

"It is such an amazing story of love overcoming everything, even though the two lovers are from completely different world." Janet softly added, talking more to the table than to Mina. "The author had to have it published privately but I'm glad I was given a copy." She blushed and gave a little cough.

"Dr. Jekyll will be sleeping for hours yet, he probably will not wake up till the morning." Janet said, adopting a more professional tone. "There is a spare room with a bed in the back, if you wish to rest."

"Thank you." Mina said sipping at the tea. Janet nodded and picked up her own tea, looking a bit uncomfortable. Morning had never seemed so far off.

---

The tiny blue dragon flew steadily through the air, beating it's wings to rise above the clouds should the need arise. Blue dragons were not known for their great speed, but instead for their stealth and cunning. The perfect spy, the small dragon now flew back to report to his Master and Mistress.

Some way out of London was a series of abandoned mines, where once men had dug for coal. Now though, the dark tunnels were home to only the rat. At least, that was what people though. Years ago though, some new creatures had entered the mines under the cover of darkness, burring there way deeper and deeper into the mines until they lived in the secret tunnels, ways that the majority of humans did not even know existed.

The blue dragon darted into the mine, heading down one of the larger tunnels, flying with confidence. It moved further and further into the mine, until it reached the limit of human knowledge. Then it suddenly flew to the left, flapping it's scaly wings as it flew down a tunnel that was large enough only for dragons of it's kind or the odd, idiotic rat. Any rat that was foolish enough to travel down this tunnel would soon become a crispy meal for the ever hungry dragons.

Finally the blue dragon reached a small cave where a young woman sat, her brown eyes fixed on the hole the dragon came out of, almost as if she had been waiting for it. The flying creature landed on the women's shoulder and snarled, making some harsh sounds. The women frowned.

"We need to see Sulyn about this." she said sharply, standing up. The dragon stretched it's wings out and jumped from her shoulder, gliding forward, into one of the larger tunnels. The woman strode deeper into the cave, following the small dragon as it fluttered into front of her, breathing the odd tiny flame every now and then to light up the area in front of them. Soon the two reached a larger carven, with giant tunnel's stretching off in all directions, each one dark and foreboding. For a long time the woman stood silently in the middle of the cavern, looking almost as if she was listening to something.

"Well." she said at last. "This is not a happy turn of events for us, now is it. It seems the thief has decided to try and stop drinking." Her voice remained calm, almost deadly calm, even as the volume raised.

"The Vampire has returned to London and is seeking the Doctor out. If I didn't know better I would say they were planning on reforming." She paused for a second, before carrying on, her voice developing a slightly sarcastic edge to it.

"Oh! But I forgot. You took care of it didn't you. Your actions actions five years ago were supposed to have stopped them forever" The women placed her hands on her hips and glared down one of the tunnels.

"As I told you then, you should have let me handle it! But no, you knew best didn't you. Now we will have to step ahead in our plans, before they become a problem again." A rumbling came from the tunnel she had been talking to, cutting her off and she froze before throwing her head back and laughing.

"Perhaps you are right." She mused, a cruel and calculating look on her face. "Perhaps we can use this to our advantage after all..."

_**To Be Continued...**_

And there we have it, check back soon for the next part. Hope you enjoyed this part.

_-Sethoz_


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